


A Dragon in Wolf's Clothing

by Winemom



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Dragons and witches and knights OH MY, F/M, It's not huge but it is there., blood and a bit of gore warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12014148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winemom/pseuds/Winemom
Summary: In some odd off fantasy land, Angela's a healing witch that's traveling to find a place of her own away from witch hunters and Hanzo is traveling to find a place of his own away from dragon hunters. Affection and shenanigans ensue when the two cross paths and Hanzo gets the grumpy stick out of his ass.





	1. More Bark than Bite

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the ending here. It's a bit short and anticlimactic, but the next chapter is going to pay back for it, I promise.
> 
> If you feel so inclined, I've started a [Ko-Fi](http://ko-fi.com/winemom) for those that feel like supporting. There's no obligation, just reading this mess means the world to me. ♥

           Humans have an exceedingly difficult time understanding anything that is different from them. That misunderstanding bred fear and that fear fueled the need to get rid of the things that scared them. There were multitudes of opportunistic hunters and guilds that capitalized on that fear, more often than not playing on it further to line their pockets with riches just so those people wouldn’t have to face those fears. They were what burned hundreds of supposed witches and who bragged that they’d killed the dragons. They claimed that killed them all in the west, now moving further east to continue their “good work”. Besides their lack of understanding, humans seemed far too confident in what they were capable of and far too quick to underestimate the cleverness of who they sought to destroy.

           Most witches assumed that there would be safety in numbers, choosing to live where they assumed they’d be hidden. It took several years, but they were found out. Hunters came and razed the village, Angela’s parents dying as they ensured their daughter escaped without the hunters being able to follow her. She was able to find an old family friend that took her in, teaching her how to handle her magic in the most discreet way possible. Beyond just taking care of Angela, she helped rid the young woman of the anger towards humanity as a whole and taught her how to help those that hunters hurt. That was how she learned that she had a knack for healing and met the healing dragons in the mountains near their home. Another set of creatures that learned to survive even though humans feared them for no other reason than the fact they were different. 

           Once her guardian passed away, Angela began traveling, spending a few weeks in a location before moving on. There were always people to help, but she never stayed long enough for people to question if she was a witch or not. For now, she was settling into a little village near the base of a mountain. They were struggling with a hard winter, illness ran rampant and their harvests had been weak. Most of the people were very nice, all seemingly appreciating her skills besides one man that seemed to be permanently grumpy. And, unfortunately, he was the best hunter in the village.

           “Good morning!” Angela quipped, setting her basket onto his table. There was the barest grunt of a reply that she was taking as a greeting, he was paying far more attention to the items she was unloading onto the table than the blonde herself. It was hard to tell anything about him. No matter the weather he seemed to wear his wolf-hood, obscuring most of his face, and he seemed to speak as little as possible. Angela could understand the want of secrecy or privacy, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that it set her on edge. True to form, he was silent as he examined the foods she set out for him, bottles of cider and wine, fresh butter, and a carefully wrapped package of still warm bread. 

           “Is this the honeyed bread?” He asked, nearly making her jump in surprise. 

           “Oh, yes it is!” She nodded as a smile broke out on her face. 

           “Good. That is my favorite.”  Will wonders never cease. She got ten words out of him. 

           “I’ll remember that for next time.” Honestly, she wanted to question him further, ask what other things he liked, anything to actually understand this man better, but he simply nodded, returning to the silence from before. He knew what Angela liked, putting portions of salted meat and smoked salmon into her basket to go home with her. She thanked him as she picked up her basket, earning another grunt for a response. Maybe someday she’d come to actually understand him.

           As the day drew on, Angela got more anxious. There were more and more unknown men showing up in the town, all bearing symbols that made Angela’s stomach turn. Some were innocuous enough, fur pelts that were a little too large, teeth that would have come from an unbelievably large wolf. Those could be passed off as lucky kills of anomalies in the forest. The ones that couldn’t are the large scales and razor sharp teeth that adorned other men, hides that could only come from dragons forming their capes. They were heralded as monster killers, even if few of them ever raised a blade to one themselves. The true grizzled hunters wouldn’t give a second glance to these men, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t do harm on their own. Angela attempted to steer clear of them, going about checking on the villagers, but a curious pattern emerged. Everywhere these men went, the wolf-hooded hunter wasn’t too far behind. The look on his face was one Angela hoped to never see again, a cold want of revenge. 

           It seemed most of the village seemed on edge from the strangers. Most of them were quiet folk, just wanting to do their work and care for their families. When the newcomers headed for the tavern, she took that for her sign to head home. There was a heady amount of fear over there being anything but animal hunters in their midsts. She didn’t know what those hunters might want from a witch, but she didn’t want to find out. It was still light out when she got home, a tiny blessing so that she could easily see if she was followed. A lingering glance behind her revealed that she seemingly wasn’t. She attempted to put the worry behind her as she made dinner. 

           The knock at the door jarred her out of the nap she ended up taking in her chair. It wasn’t unusual to have someone waking her up late at night, after all, babies never waited to be born and injuries could happen at any time. “Coming, coming!” She shouted, trying to mask a yawn as she made her way to the door. There was a brief pause as she pulled a cloak on, trying to make herself look somewhat presentable before pulling the door open. The familiar white hood was nearly as bright in the moonlight as it was in the day. She was a little shocked, standing there in the doorway for moment.

           “I assume you know how to handle arrow wounds?” The man growled, leaning heavily against the doorframe. Angela practically jumped, nodding frantically as she pulled her door open and motioned him in. 

           “Yes, yes, please.” She closed the door behind him before leading him into her examination room. “Please, sit, I… Are you wearing armor?” Angela asked in shock, hands pressing against the unusual plates that set against his skin. “That… Oh boy.” She took a deep breath and started looking around her. A stick was snagged as she walked back towards him. “You’ll need to bite on this. I’ll also need to remove your helm.” He glared as she reached up, gently removing the wolf’s head before carrying it to sit on one of her cabinets. She was further surprised when she turned around and got a proper look at him. There were bright yellow marks under his eyes, dark brown eyes that looked about as trusting as a bear with it’s paw in a trap. He took the hunk of wood, looking to it before looking back at Angela. 

           “And what am I to do with this?” His tone was accusatory, as if she’d personally offended him. She arched a brow as she looked back at him, grabbing a stool to drag over and set in front of him. 

           “Bite down on it. That way you don’t accidentally bite your tongue when I break the arrows. I’ve seen some very nasty injuries happen because people were too weren’t willing to take the right precautions. I hope you aren’t that foolish, mister…?” The man merely glared at her as he took the bar and bit down onto it. If Angela was a lesser woman, she would take less kindly with his reactions. Once she was settled in front of him, she took a good look at what she was dealing with. One arrow was already broken off into him, she could barely see the end of it peeking out from his armor. Another was fully intact, and the other was cracked, but not broken to a workable length. “Deep breaths for me, this will hurt.” She cast a final glance up to him before reaching down and snapping the already shortened arrow. The barest cry escaped him from the bar, surprising the witch somewhat. She’d known very strong men that were less gracious under that kind of pain. She waited a moment before she grasped the next arrow and snapped it as well. A bit louder this time, it the still nameless man seem a bit more human. 

           “That wasn’t too bad. I have to remove your armor to see exactly where the arrows entered, then we can decide what’s best to remove them.” He grunted before nodding curtly, removing the wood from his mouth. She took that as an affirmation to let her work, so she set about carefully undoing the buckles. “Hold the front plates for me. I need to take them off straight forward so I don’t twist anything.” He quietly complies, watching her as a hawk as the backplate fell away and she moved to the front to remove the front. It was a delicate process making sure not to disturb the arrow shafts too much. She didn’t want to loosen the arrow heads that could cause further complications. “Arms up, your shirt will have to come off too.” 

            “You see nothing.” He stated firmly as he lifted his arms, making Angela arch an eyebrow at him. It wasn’t too unusual for people to have parts of their bodies they didn’t want seen, but that almost sounded like a threat. Nothing was said, but it was obvious he piqued her curiosity as she carefully removed the fabric. Three things hit her off the bat. First, he was in  _ very _ good shape. The last she’d seen of someone being this sculpted was an actual marble statue. The main difference between him and the statue, besides the living and breathing part, were the scars that littered his body. They were clearly not from hunting accidents, these looked more like battle scars. She was trying to avoid staring when she caught sight of the lines of ink curving along his shoulder.

            “Is this what I’m not supposed to see?” She asked, nodding to his shoulder. The markings on his hand, reminiscent of the moon phases, swirled up and along his arm, taking the form of clouds and a blue dragon emerging from the clouds. A dragon with a distinct Eastern flare. Another sharp glare from the man, followed by a curt nod. Well, that settled that, apparently. “Okay. Well, I need to see if any of the arrows have lost the arrowheads, so this might hurt a bit.” She reached out and tried to twist each of them, only one spun free. That was a good sign. She took a step back, taking a deep breath as she uttered a spell under her breath. Now she could see where the arrows had lodged internally, and none of them hit anything far too vital, nothing that couldn’t be patched. Even the one that was close to the lungs was settled between ribs, no risk of nicking bone. “The one that lost it’s head I need to pull the shaft out and try to extract the arrowhead. The lower one I think I can pull out, it’s not too deep, but….” She took a deep breath and pointed to the one stubbornly lodged between his ribs. “I need to push that one through. If I pull it out I fear you could bleed out. It will hurt more than the others.” A fair warning, she didn’t want to keep him from knowing what was going to happen. 

            “Start with that one.” He grunted, looking up at her before he snagged the wooden dowel again to bite down on. Angela nodded before she opened a leather roll, tools she had made for these kinds of procedures. For the most part, at least. A few items were made by the healing dragons in the north and given to her, as well as a multitude of spells that would make her work easier. It was unusual for people to ask for what’s going to be most painful to be taken care of first, but it was easiest for her to do anyways. Another moment was spared for her to grab dried herbs and bandages, rinsing her mouth in a basin before starting to chew on the herbs, mumbling spells under her breath to imbue as much healing into them as possible. She took a thin bone stick and a pair of grabbers, using the former to push the arrow through the short amount of space until the arrowhead and shaft were visible, then used the grabbers to force the shaft through his body. He made hardly a sound until she took a bottle of brandy to clean the wounds. A slew of what she could only assume were curses left his mouth once he removed the stick.

            “What the fuck was that?” He demanded, looking distrustful as she quickly stitched up the cut and applied the herbs with bandages.

            “Brandy, as strong as I can make it. It helps prevent infection.” She motioned for him to bite down on the stick again before she worked her narrow clamps down the arrow shaft, carefully grasping the arrow head before pulling it out. “Brace yourself.” Another splash of brandy before the stitching and bandages. “How are you feeling?”

            “Besides feeling like my flesh is on fire? I am fine.”

            “Good. I don’t need you fainting on me before this is done.” She nodded reassuringly before she worked on getting the last arrow shaft and head out. The last bit of patching him up and she stood back, checking her work. “That should be a little less painful. You’ll have to wait with me a little longer. I want to make sure that everything’s holding.” He nodded, being stoic again as she took his shirt and headed towards her kitchen. 

            “Where are you going with that?” 

            “I was going to mend it for you. But, first I need a cup of tea.” That seemed to interest him as he stood up off of the table, following her to the kitchen. She put a kettle on the heat, looking over her shoulder at the still nameless man curiously. He cleared his throat, rather awkwardly going to sit down on one of her chairs. 

            “What kind of tea?” 

            “I’m not sure about the kind, it’s some that someone gave me.” She admitted, picking up the tin and carrying it over to him. She arched a brow at him as she held it out. He opened the tin, smelling it. He closed it and shook the canister before smelling it again. 

            “I cannot tell what kind it is.” He frowned a bit, brow furrowing. 

            “Would you like a cup?” 

            “I… Yes.” He nodded, handing the tin back. Angela let them lapse into silence as she set the tin aside, working to scrub the blood out of his undershirt. It was exceptionally soft, and very well made. It was very fine linen, nothing like she’d been able to afford before. How well was this hunter doing for himself? Once the shirt was sufficiently scrubbed, she set it by the fire to dry, just in time for the kettle to whistle. Once the tea was poured, she handed him a cup.

            “There you are, sir.” 

            “Hanzo.” Angela’s head jerked up slightly, equal parts surprised and confused. “My name is Hanzo.” A smile broke out across her face as she nodded in understanding. 

            “It’s a pleasure to properly make your acquaintance, Hanzo.” She settled into one of the chairs and took a sip of her tea, watching him from the corner of her eye for a moment. 

            “Thank you for this.” Hanzo motioned to the bandages across his chest. “I would not have been able to handle them on my own.” 

            “May I ask what happened?” 

            “Damn hunters, they cannot tell the man in a wolf’s helm from one walking on four paws when they’re drunk.” He grimaced, clicking his tongue in anger. That worried her, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked down.

            “Did you hear them talking about why they’re here? They seem to have the town in a ruckus. I… I’m not exactly comfortable with them around.” She couldn’t keep the edge of worry out of her voice. They both paused, taking sips of their tea. 

            “I did not. It seems no one but the baron is happy they’re around. He seems to be the type to take advantage whenever someone with any power comes into town. Or at least those pretending to have power.” 

            “I’m not exactly fond of him either.” A quiet admission, one that made Hanzo chuckle. 

            “You do not seem the type to take advantage of people or take kindly to those that do.”

            “Am I that obvious?” She asked, smiling at him warmly as they both laughed a little.

            “You chased the man selling fake herbs out of town with a broom. You were terrifying.” She could tell he was teasing her, and in a good nature as well. It was refreshing, to say the least. She’d known of him for months, but now she was actually getting to know him now. He wasn’t what she expected, and that was for the very best. 

            “Is that why you took so long to give me your name? Fear of a tiny woman with a broom?” He shook his head, the small smile he was sporting falling slightly. 

            “There is no one in town that knows my name. Except for you, now.” That was… odd. Somewhat flattering, but very odd. 

            “Is there a reason for that?”

            “There are certain luxuries in anonymity. And there are some people that do not take kindly to my kind of people.” Angela merely cocked her head in an effort to encourage him. “I am from the east. There are some that believe we are ‘invading’ the west. Some of us merely wish to have a fresh start somewhere new.” A soft sigh and a nod escaped the blonde. She knew that far too well. 

            “There is nothing wrong with that. There is more than enough space for more people to live here comfortably and there is no reason that one of those people couldn’t be you.” She got up as she said that, heading over to pick up his now dry shirt to mend. The holes weren’t terrible, it would only take her a few minutes to close them up. “I am glad you told me. I won’t lie, I’ve been curious about about you for a while, but I didn’t want to be rude.” 

            “You may be the only one. The rest of the town seems to resent my wish of privacy.”   
            “They are a, well, nosy bunch?” Nosy was putting it politely. Outsiders, strangers, were generally regarded with distrust until they had enough dirt on you that they could threaten you into doing as they wanted. That, or you offered them something they couldn’t get elsewhere. Hanzo happened to be the best hunter in the village. Angela happened to be the best doctor. There wasn’t much they could pressure them with, but it didn’t mean they didn’t try. “I guess curiosity is a curse when gossip is a commodity.”

            “It is unacceptable behavior. I do not understand the lack of respect that these people have.” There was venom in his voice over that, making her wonder how much of it was the town there, or if this was a recurring trend. She was betting the latter. There was a lull of silence as Angela worked to further patch the holes the arrows left in the fabric and Hanzo seemed to cool slightly as he sipped his cup of tea. 

            “There are people that just don’t understand they should leave well enough alone.” The tone in Angela’s voice made Hanzo look up, but she didn’t meet his gaze. She just focused on darning the holes that were rapidly disappearing under ther skilled fingers. There was a shift in his posture as he watched her now, making her feel even more awkward as her fingers fumbled slightly. She wasn’t going to say anything unless prompted and he seemed to catch on as he finished off the last of his cup of tea. 

            “They’ve done the same to you? Putting their noses into your business?”

            “Yes. There’s only so much I can avoid without suspicion and after suspicion comes violence.” There was the barest furrowing of Hanzo’s brow, as if he hadn’t realized that was a possibility. “Some places are better than others. There are a few towns I’ve visited where they make all sorts of accusations only because I travel alone.” There was a slight wince from him, so she suspected that he was keenly aware of some of what had been thrown at her. “It’s not been as bad here.”

            “You have done a lot of good since you arrived. It it those towns’ loss for refusing to let you help.” 

            “It’s nice to hear that someone recognizes that.” She couldn’t help but smile at him before she turned back, finishing off the last few ends she had to weave in. “And there, good as new.” His now non-hole-y shirt was held up with a bit of flourish, even the bloodstains were removed as if they’d never existed. 

            “Thank you.” He nodded as he gently took the shirt, admiring her workmanship before he started pulling it on.

            “Oh! Wait!” She gently batted his shirt off so she could check under the bandages. Everything seemed to be healing well and he wasn’t bleeding anymore. She replaced the bandages, trying to avoid the fact that she was now noticing how well built he was. There might be a slight lingering touch that hs had to pull away from, taking a deep breath. “You seem to be healing nicely. As long as you change the bandages you should be fine, but if there’s any issue, please just come back to see me. You might want to take it easy for a day or two, though.” He nodded in understanding, pulling his shirt firmly back on before getting up to father his other effects. 

            “Will I see you in the market in the morning?”

            “Of course.” He nodded, giving her the smallest smile. 

            “Good night, Angela.”

            “Good night, Hanzo.”


	2. Odd Housemates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are things heating up or cooling down? Tune in next time on this episode of Dragon Ba-, wait, wrong series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel so inclined, I've started a [Ko-Fi](http://ko-fi.com/winemom) for those that feel like supporting. There's no obligation, just reading this mess means the world to me. ♥

            The bright rays of the morning sun only drew grumbling from the blonde witch, begrudgingly pulling herself upright. After the late night of taking care of Hanzo, she was exhausted. It was a slow process pulling herself from bed, lazily trying to untangle her hair when there was a pounding at the door. A sigh escaped her as she left her hair as is, tugging on a dressing gown to try to look somewhat presentable. As the knocking became more persistent, she shouted that she was on her way, worry building in her gut. Once she got to the door she fixed the chain that held the door from being shoved open. This didn’t seem like it was going to be a good thing. 

            “Can I help you ?” She asked, barely opening the door to peek outside of it. There were at least four men there, all hunters that she’d seen in the marketplace the day before. This was not good. One of the men pressed forward, hand against the door as if he could open it any further. Thank goddess for enchanted chains and iron reinforced doors, they wouldn’t be getting in easily if it came to that. 

            “We followed a bloodtrail here. Are you nursing a wild animal in there?” One of the men demanded, pressing his face in towards the crack of the door. Angela’s face fell into a scowl, the man looking visibly surprised by the change. 

            “I don’t treat animals here. There was a man by to be patched up after someone mistook him for one, though. He should be fine now.” The tone of her voice had them all shifting, though it didn’t seem to be out of discomfort over what she was saying. 

            “Our mistake, miss. But you should watch your tone around hunters, you know. Wouldn’t want something untoward to happen to you.” He paused there, the threat more than obvious. “You never know what would happen in the dark and you’d need a hunter to help.”

            “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. The only thing that needs to happen is for men to stop playing with weapons when they’re drunk. Now, if there’s nothing more to be said here, I have things to attend to.” She moved to shut her door when the man stuck his foot in the way. His mistake. She put her full weight behind shutting it, driving the “decorative” spike towards the bottom into his boot. He yelped in pain, jerking his foot back and giving her enough time to shut the door completely. This did not bode well for her. She could hear the men cursing as they walked away, a sickening weight growing in her gut. 

            It wasn’t a matter of just packing up and leaving. There was a woman in the village that was going to give birth soon and Angela couldn’t just leave her to handle that on her own. But that didn’t mean that Angela wasn’t preparing to have to run. The time she wasn’t prepared still haunted her, the items she’d lost had been impossible to replace. For now, though, she still needed to conduct business as usual. Act naive, act oblivious, she couldn’t let the townsfolk know she’d been rattled that badly. Most of them wouldn’t notice the slight tremor in her voice or the barest shaking in her hands as she went about the small market. But that was only most of them, mind you.

            “Good morning!” Angela quipped, smiling brightly as she could at Hanzo. The wolf helmed man nodded, but didn’t look away as he usually did. He seemed to be inspecting her as she looked over his current wares. “How are y-”

            “Something has you frightened.” He interrupted, tone making it obvious that he wasn’t asking a question. There was hesitation, Angela trying to avoid his gaze for as long as possible before a sigh escaped him. Of course someone who hunted would be able to tell when someone was scared. He was at least the lesser of evils when it came to knowing her situation.

            “I had some… Visitors.” The anxiety was obvious on her face, Hanzo’s own expression hardening with concern. “Perhaps we can talk about this later? I’ll need to change your bandages.” Between the two of them it wasn’t the most subtle statement, but to anyone else it would seem innocuous enough. He nodded curtly in understanding, wrapping up her products before exchanging them for payment. It was going to be a long day til she saw the dark haired man at her door. 

            It was a delicate dance, balancing going about her usual duties while avoiding the hunters. They were loud enough that it was easy to hear them before they were seen, but there were more than a few odd looks going her way as she darted into buildings and alleyways to keep out of their sight. Night had almost fallen by the time Angela finished her rounds, the gas lights barely illuminating her way out of town. An arm looped in her own made her jump, the witch turning on her heel to give the stranger a stern talking to about personal space with her fist. Luckily, Hanzo’s reflexes were up to par, gently catching her hand before it could connect with his nose. She visibly relaxed and his worry just seemed to grow, his brow furrowing further. 

            “Come to walk me home?” She asked, canting her head slightly as she settled into the pair of them walking towards her home. There was a brief nod from her mostly silent companion, eyes darting as he looked for dangers that Angie couldn’t detect. 

            “I would not want you to run into any of your visitors while you were trying to get home.” The tone of his voice made her question who was more nervous about the hunters between the two of them. Though, Hanzo did have a run in with them that could have left him, well, dead. She held a little tighter to his arm, making him look at her again, but he said nothing about it. They walked in silence until they got to her home. “Let me check outside before we go in. They’re a low enough sort to plan an ambush.” She nodded, letting go of him where he could make those checks uninhibited. 

            Hanzo gave her the all clear once he returned to her door, standing aside as she unlocked the door, but once open he walked in first. “It did not seem that anyone found a way into your home.” He walked through her small home slowly, checking any corner that someone could hide in. It was all Angela could do to keep her nerves relatively in check. As he checked her workroom, she moved to her stove. She might as well make the pair of them some tea, it seemed like they were going to need it today. “It is clear.” He called as he walked in the room, making her breathe a sigh of relief as she slumped against the counter. 

            “Thank you. For all of this.” Angela vaguely motioned about her home, Hanzo nodding in understanding. “They came by very early this morning. I think they were looking for you.” A grave scowl settled on his face as she recounted everything that happened. He didn’t interrupt or make a motion to anything other than intently listening to her until the end. It was something unusual, having anyone listen to her so fully. It was something she appreciated greatly. The kettle whistled before Hanzo could reply, giving them a moment as she poured them each a cup of tea. 

            “It sounds as if I have put you in danger.” He admitted, looking slightly sheepish before he took a sip of tea. It may be sort of true, but it wasn’t something that had crossed Angela’s mind. There had been worse that she’d dealt with before, like the witch hunt that stole her parents and many friends away from her. She shrugged gently, shaking her head. 

            “I have had more than a few hot headed hunters that have challenged me. Besides, I’ve been thinking about a change of scenery lately.” That last part was a lie, she felt like she’d just gotten settled in. “I just have a few things I need to finish before I can think about leaving.” 

            “Are they to run you from your home so easily?”

            “It’s not like I haven’t moved before. I never stay any place too long. Too many people enjoy calling women that practice medicine witches.” The surprised look that Hanzo gave her was something she didn’t miss. 

            “Where I am from there are not many women healers, but they are revered for their knowledge and skill. Why would anyone call you something so vile?” It was all Angela could do to keep from wincing. There was another person that she couldn’t casually out herself to. The few truly bad witches that existed were really causing the worst of black marks across all of their names. She’d never understand it. 

            “Because there are greedy men that want to take advantage of a family’s fear and desperation to line their own pockets. If there are healers like me about, they can’t force these people to pay for their loved ones to be cured. I’ve rarely found another healer that didn’t simply ask for what they needed and what the others could afford for their help.” 

            “Do you think these hunters could be working for someone like that?” Angela paused then, pondering Hanzo’s question. They were very chummy with the baron, and if someone with a “formal” medical practice wanted to move it, they could be moving to get her out. She wouldn’t be able to do anything about it either. They’d slowly turn people on her until she was chased out, even if she was still needed. 

            “If the baron’s getting a cut, yes. I don’t think that’s a fight I could win, either.” She sighed softly, shaking her head. “I just have one patient that I need to see to for the rest of this month before I can move on. Hanzo stood up suddenly, almost making Angela jump. 

            “You should not stand for this! How can you let someone drive you from your home, away from the people you care about?” This kind of reaction surprised her. She didn’t expect him to get so riled over her planning to leave so soon. She took another sip of tea before she cocked her head at him. Her reaction, or lack thereof, seemed to dawn on him, his expression becoming sheepish again as he slowly sat back down. “It. It does not seem fair.” 

            “It isn’t, but I’ve dealt with it before. I think you’re underestimating how much I’ve moved.” 

            “You should not have to ‘deal’ with something like this.” Angela got the sneaking suspicion that Hanzo was talking less about the fact that Angela was going to have to move again and more about something personal. Perhaps one day she’d actually be able to ask about it. 

            “I may not get to choose when I leave, but I never plan to stay any place too long. I can help people for a while and move on to help others. I feel like that’s a better use of my talents than stagnating in one place for too long. Besides, I’ve not found a place that feels like home.”

            “The feeling of home is difficult to replicate.” She needed a moment there, taking a very long sip of her tea. He was most definitely talking about something more than just her and her possible rehousing. What on earth happened to him to cause this much wistful talk of ‘home’ and not being driven away from it? Apparently she stayed quiet for too long, the dark haired man clearing his throat as he looked about the small kitchen area. “Even if you are planning to leave, you deserve to be safe while you are here. If you will let me, I would like to stay here until you depart.”

            That’s when Angela choked on her tea, causing Hanzo to jump up once again and approach her with movements that closely resembled a chicken with it’s head cut off. Before he or his flailing could get any closer she held a hand up, keeping him at bay as she coughed the last bit of tea back out of her lungs and down the appropriate pipes. “Y-You want to stay here? The town talks about us enough already, who knows what they’d say of an unmarried man and woman living under the same roof, especially with these hunters having a mark against us already. Aren’t you worried about your reputation?” Personally, she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea, but she didn’t want the man that was trying to be so kind and protective to have any more issues caused by her.

            “You saved my life. It is the least I can do to make sure that you are kept safe.” He replied, shaking his head slightly. It was a sentiment that she found sweet, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t saved other people’s lives before. It was just part of her work. 

            “You don’t owe me anything for that. It’s just part of what I do.”

            “Saving someone’s life is no small matter. If any of your patients had any decency they should treat you with the respect you deserve. Consider it payment for them also.” A sigh escaped her now. There was no way to just say ‘no’ to this, was there? It seemed Hanzo was as bull headed as they came when he thought of something. 

            “Alright, alright. But you’ll have to sleep on the couch. I’m afraid the only bed I have here is my own.” He nodded curtly, settling back onto the couch that would serve as his sleeping grounds soon enough. “I’m not an early riser, so you’ll have full use of the kitchen if you’re hungry, and I’ll try to keep the noise down if I’m working late.” 

            “I must be up early for my hunts, but I will fix you something to wake up to for your breakfast.”

            “Oh! You don’t have to do that, I can do well enough for myself.”

            “I will not hear of it. It will be part of my payment.” At this rate Angela was wondering if she would end up owing him in the long run. A soft sigh escaped her as she shook her head. There was no arguing with him, apparently. 

            “There’s no use in trying to talk you out of this, is there?” She asked, just wanting to be sure she couldn’t sway him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

            “I do not like leaving debts owed. Allow me this for the remainder of your stay here and I will have a less burdened conscious when you go.”

            “Fine, but no funny business. I have a broom in my room and I’m not afraid to use it as a weapon.” That drew warm laughter from Hanzo, a surprising departure from the seemingly kind chuckles that she’d pulled out of him before. It made her smile. “And speaking of rooms, I may retire to mine. It has been a very stressful day.” He nodded in understanding as she walked to a small cabinet and pulled several blankets and a pillow from inside. “Let me know if you need another blanket. I’m afraid this is my only extra pillow.”

            “This will be enough. Thank you.”

            “No, thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.” He nodded as she headed to her room, seeming to settle in rather comfortably. She didn’t think that Hanzo would intrude, but she locked the door behind her just to be safe. 

            There wasn’t a sound from her unusual house guest through the night. The only hint that he was even there the next morning was the smell of warm bread and salmon. He wasn’t there when she made her way into the kitchen, but the food was wrapped to keep warm and she gratefully dug in. She wasn’t much of a cook herself and having something fixed for her that was edible was a treat that she didn’t want to miss. When her plate was cleared she stole a few moments to wash up and make sure she was presentable for the day. He wasn’t back before she needed to head into town, so she hoped to see him there. 

            The town was bustling with activity, even as early as it was that morning. Angela could barely conduct her usual business, much less wade through the crowds to steal some of Hanzo’s time. She did, though, catch his eye and give him a small wave, glad that his hunting went well. The rest of her day was boringly spent like any other; checking on patients, gathering materials, and, as more recently, avoiding the hunters. Usually she’d take her time, spending part of her evening in the local tavern for dinner or accepting the invitation of one of her patients for a bit of down time, but there were things to do and preparations to be made that Hanzo couldn’t see. 

            Even if witchcraft wasn’t so reviled and looked down on, Angela enjoyed the solitary, private practice. It was nice to settle into spell work that refreshed her mentally and grounded her in something that at least felt bigger than herself. She settled in, working the spells she needed for herself and for the people in town. They may hate witches, but many of them wouldn’t have the lives they did without her work. It took hours to work through the various spells and sigils, but she felt lighter, better by the end of it. One last thing she did was a protection sigil for Hanzo. It would make her feel better with all that he was doing for her. 

            It was late enough when Hanzo got back that Angela was a little worried. He knew how to handle himself, but there was the fact that they had numbers to fall back on while he didn’t. There was a knock at the door to announce himself before he came in, the witch visibly relaxing when she saw it was him and not any of the hunters come back to cause more trouble. “You seemed busy today.” A bit of warm hearted teasing to cover the anxiety spike that she had come over her. He nodded shortly as he shed his helm and armor, seemingly settling in for the evening. 

            “It was a very good day. I did bring some wild boar to roast for our dinner.” He moved towards the kitchen, making clear motions that he was planning to cook for them again. She reached out, gently placing a hand on his arm. He cocked his head slightly from her reaction, turning more fully towards her. 

            “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m grateful for the meals, but I don’t want you to feel obligated.”  
            “I do not cook because I’m obligated.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “It is something I enjoy doing.” Once Angela took her hand off of his arm he continued his way to her kitchen. She couldn’t argue with that if it were true, so she followed him, lighting her oven so it could begin heating up. 

            “Well, does honeyed bread go with wild boar?” There was a slight bit of teasing in her voice as she carefully moved the dough that had been rising into a stoneware pan to bake. That suggestion seemed to perk him up significantly. 

            “Of course. I cannot think of much that pairs better.” That made Angela chuckle as she worked, the pair of them falling into comfortable silence as they worked on their respective parts of the dinner. They occasionally bumped into one another, laughing and muttering soft apologies. It was the first time in a very long time she’d gotten to spend time this close with someone that was interested in her well being. Usually it was just time with patients and not necessarily ones that she wanted to be friends with. The quiet wasn’t uncomfortable, though Hanzo broke it when they were almost finished cooking. “I do not wish to be rude, but do you know how to cook?” Angela’s brow arched in surprise as she looked back at the man. Her lack of an answer and serious stare had a bit of nervousness crossing his face as he tried to explain himself. “You have some cookware that needs to be reconditioned and your pantry is not well stocked. Your baking ware is very well taken care of, however.” Well, that was something she couldn’t exactly play down, even if she wanted to. 

            “I know how to cook, just, not well.” She admitted, turning away to gather a couple of plates for their dinner. “I’m much better at baking, but I don’t understand cooking. There are too many variables.” Thick slices of bread were cut and sweetened butter was spread across the still warm surface before Hanzo placed the meat and cheese beside it. He didn’t respond, seemingly deep in thought. His silence made her slightly uncomfortable, she couldn’t tell what was on his mind or if he was judging her lack of culinary skills. It didn’t take them long to settle in at her small table and start eating, their hunger overriding any sort of conversation. Once they were most of the way through, Hanzo spoke up again.

            “Where do you plan to go once you leave?” He asked, glancing up from his plate to see her brow creased in thought. 

            “I’m not entirely certain. Maybe Germany? There are some places I want to see there, and I’m certain there’s some village that needs a healer.” She nodded a little as she continued munching on her dinner, considering her plans. “Honestly, I don’t think much of where I want to go. I pick the direction of a somewhat populated area and start walking.” She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, tell him that she was just following her intuition on where she needed to be. It always worked out well, and things like this usually happened when it was tie for her to leave. 

            “Do you always travel alone?” 

            “Usually, but I rarely run into trouble. And if I do there’s always a way to escape safely.” Hanzo just didn’t need to know that that way was magic. The look on his face screamed concern, but he didn’t push the issue further, seeming to trust her judgement on it. They fell into a conversation about Germany and the surrounding areas, even sharing tales of the actual werewolves that the pair of them had run into. It fascinated Angela to hear the stories that Hanzo had to tell and it was a relief to be able to share stories like that without fear. They both seemed to have stories of unusual happenstances and creatures that would terrify most people. They retired back to her couch, talking for a while longer until exhaustion started to wear into the both of them. She bid him goodnight before heading back to her room and piling up to rest for the night. 

            That started a pattern over the next couple of weeks. Hanzo got up early, leaving breakfast for Angela to eat. The pair of them shared glances from across the marketplace. Angela dodged the hunters as well as she could while she checked on her patients. Most nights they ended up back in her home, Hanzo fixing dinner for the two of them and Angela assisting the best she could. Occasionally she’d bring back food from patients, making it a nice night off for both of them. It was a routine that she was not looking forward to breaking the longer that it went on. The company, the friendship, was something she hadn’t had in a long while. 

            Her patient’s due date came and Angela found herself dragging her feet as she stayed through the woman’s first week of parenthood. She was reluctant as she packed up, finding a horse and cart that she could take through to her destination. There was a change in tone from the both of them at the end of the week. Hanzo was quieter, more reserved than he had been after the first few days. Angela was making every excuse to spend a little more time with him. They were both outcasts that found a place where they weren’t alone for a little while. 

            The day that Angela decided to leave was when the hunters left the heart of some animal pinned to her door frame. They’d been increasingly aggressive, actively seeking her out, trying to cause scenes that would earn their favor with the town while causing Angela to lose what little she had. Hanzo had angrily suggested that they should confront them, not let them win by just leaving, but she didn’t want to deal with the possible aftermath. She also didn’t want to risk it going wrong and either of them or anyone else getting hurt. Packing didn’t take terribly long, Hanzo lending a hand wherever he could. It was late morning when she finished and he was lingering close as she made sure the horse was hitched securely to the cart. 

           “Are you sure you do not wish to try to challenge them?” He sounded worried, but she didn’t know if that was because he was worried about her traveling or worried about what would happen if she tried to stay. 

            “I’m sure. I’ve been needing a change of scenery for a while.” He nodded in understanding even if his expression didn’t change. 

            “The townsfolk do not know what they will be missing. Perhaps you will find your way back sometime.”

            “Maybe, but I haven’t done much backtracking. It would be a first.” Another nod, this time more solemn. “I will miss you, though. Thank you for keeping me safe. And keeping me company.” 

            “It was my pleasure. I will miss you as well. I hope that we will meet again.” 

            “If we’re meant to, we will. I’m sure of it. You take care of yourself.” 

            “And you as well. You know where my camp is if you need to come back.” She nodded, feeling more secure in the fact that he would still be here if she needed him. There was an awkward moment where they both stood there, not sure how to handle the fact that she was about to leave. Finally she hugged Hanzo tight, something that seemed to surprise him, but he returned it just as firmly. A tiny voice in the back of her head pointed out how nice it was to be held by someone, no, it was not saying Hanzo specifically, she never would admit to it, but the hug was something she was reluctant to leave. It seemed to be the same with him. 

            “I’ll send you a letter when I’m settled. Just so you know I’m there safe.” She slowly let go and he nodded again as she hopped up on the seat of the cart. 

            “May your journey be swift.” He called as she snapped the reins, the horse trotting away to carry her to her next destination.


End file.
